CDC Director Erica Schwartz Apologizes for Staff Psychological Safety
· World · LiveMint, NBC News
CDC Director Erica Schwartz addressed agency staff in Atlanta on 20 Aug 2026, apologising for the extreme psychological unsafety that employees had faced. The Atlanta‑based agency has been in turmoil under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., losing thousands of career employees and enduring a 2025 shooting inspired by Covid‑vaccine misinformation. In the meeting, Schwartz promised accountability and trust, asking leaders to answer whether “a little better” psychological safety could be achieved in three months. She is the first permanent CDC director in a year after Kennedy fired the former head Susan Monarez amid vaccine‑policy clashes. HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard said Schwartz was “firmly in command and ready to lead” after a brief but affirming dialogue with Kennedy.
Why it matters
The new leadership’s focus on psychological safety could restore morale and improve the CDC’s ability to guide U.S. and global vaccine policy, affecting public health outcomes worldwide.
Read the original report — LiveMint
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.